Tangled
by simplycastiel
Summary: "So you've decided to catch pneumonia instead. More fun, huh?" Damon teased playfully, brows raised. Elena smiled properly for the first time that night, pearly whites flashing a full set of teeth. "What can I say? I'm a thrill seeker."- Elena knew she wanted Damon Salvatore the first moment she met him & vice versa. Too bad his family are at war with hers.- Rated T. DamonxElena
1. Chapter 1

**Title: "Tangled"  
Rated: **T (for language and dry smut)**  
Characters.** Elena/Damon. Caroline/Klaus. Stefan/Rebekah. Jeremy/Bonnie**  
Disclaimer:** I do not own The Vampire Diaries or its characters(sigh). All rights belong to L.J Smith for writing the amazing series, and Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson; the amazing people who bought the masterpiece to life. However, I do own this plot and any OC's that might pop up, but I haven't decided on that yet.

**This is another story to help coax me through my writers block, and its Damon/Elena centric this time, but it has also some Caroline/Klaus (I prefer to call him Nik, so Nik I will be using) Sorry if some of you are fans of Caroline/Tyler, but Tyler will still be in this story, so don't be too worried. Few pointers, Damon's mother is part of the Forbes Family, being Caroline's father's adopted sister. John and Isobel are married in this story, however, they both have girls from previous marriages. Elena is John's daughter and Katherine is Isobels. They are not identical or related in any way.**

**Disclaimer**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Tangled**

Chapter One:

Every booster party Damon Salvatore went to turned out to be more boring than the last.

The pretty blonde beside him nursing a bottomless glass of champagne could not have agreed more.

The two of them sat away from the rest of the party, as they did at every gathering, keeping cool and collected as they waited for the night to end. A few smiles were forced here and there; but neither of them could bring themselves to be geniune about it. They were here solely to support their families and their celebration of 15 years together and that was it. The social aspect just wasn't appealing enough. The room was full of old businessmen who were only interested in sealing a deal.

"Damon? Caroline, honey, there you are." Elizabeth Forbes, a shared founder of The Salvatore-Forbes Industry waltzed up to the table they sat at, finely manicured hands on her hips as she studied them. "We have guests." She gestured to the crowd in the middle of the room, and Damon's eyes followed her pointed finger, trying to avoid initiating eye contact. Caroline, taking the opposite approach, simply sighed and poured herself another glass of champagne. "Well, I don't know about Damon, but Im not feeling too good, Mom."

Damon's gaze flickered towards the blonde as she said his name, and he nodded in agreement. "Sorry, Liz." he apologised. "I think it was the shrimp." To emphasise his point, Caroline picked up her fork and prodded at the prawns still on her plate. "He's right, mom. I didn't finish mine either."

Liz's eyes narrowed as she watched her daughter, reluctant to buy their excuse.

"I like it, but I don't think it likes me." Damon explained shrugging, seeing the skeptisism in her eyes. Caroline bit her lip to hold back a snicker; She knew for a fact that Damon hated shrimp. He had never touched the stuff and never would.  
The older woman simply reached out and took the last bottle of champagne from the table, much to Caroline's disdain. "If you're feeling unwell, then I suggest you stop guzzling the champagne and call a cab home." She glared at her daughter before turning to Damon. "I expected better of you both."

Caroline wanted to protest, but she didn't feel like eating her words. She watched as her mom sauntered back over to her father, resting a hand on his shoulder and whispering something in his ear. Just as Caroline anticipated, Bill Forbes turned around, his bright blue eyes landing on her in disappointment and Caroline's stomach curled. Damon playfully punched her arm as he studied her fallen face, "Don't beat yourself up, Care." He told her. "They're forcing you to be here. You're the one doing them a favour. Not the other way 'round."

Caroline couldn't help but smile at his words. He always knew what to say and do and, for a guy, he was pretty insightful. It was the main reason he was her best friend; her confidante. Her brother. "Well I guess that she has given us permission to leave. Pizza and a few beers at your place?" She suggested, wiggling her eyebrows. Damon finished the fizzy cream liquid in his own flute and mockingly slammed the glass down on the table.

"Absoloutely. But I'm broke, so you're buying."

Caroline elbowed him in the rib as she stood up, reaching out for her purse. "Ass."

Damon snickered and followed her lead, catching the eye of his mother as he did so. Her deep blue eyes stared at him from across the room, widening when they saw he was about to leave and Damon felt a twinge in his stomach; He'd never liked disappointing his mother. Letting his father down, however, was a different matter. He was a jackass and deserved nothing less. Shrugging slightly, Damon blew his mother a kiss, watching as she smiled back at him before turning to rest a supportive hand on her husbands shoulder. Damon scoffed. Arianna Salvatore deserved much more than the superficial man known as Giuseppe Salvatore. She was kind and caring, compassionate and understanding where he was selfish, money-obesessed and hot headed. Two complete opposites joined together only to boost the Salvatore-Forbes status and image; To make it the most powerful business to ever have passed down the generations.

Passing through the crowds, Damon followed Caroline towards the exit, more than eager to lap up some fresh air and escape the stuffy air conditioning of the hotel. Outside, a fresh coat of sugary snow had covered the sidewalks and was still coming down fast. Caroline squealed in delight as she bounded down the steps and into the winter wonderland night, shouting: "Come on Damon! This is the first time it's snowed this year!"

Truth be told, Damon wasn't a big fan of snow. It was cold, it was wet, and to be honest, it was more of a hassle than it was worth. Roads were blocked, people would fall and severly injure themselves; it even had the potential to kill... The list could go on and on. But now, all he could do was smile and join the blonde he had known since birth in the lamp lit streets.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Caroline asked as she looked up at the snow filled night. Damon smiled at her, unable to disagree. "It is," he said, watching kids pick up the white fluff and roll it into lethal balls of ice. "It really is."

* * *

"Elena?"

Elena Gilbert heard her name being called out impatiently from downstairs.

"Your father and I are ready to leave, are you presentable?"

Elena rolled her eyes at her reflection in the mirror, and after a few finger fluffs to her soft curls, she tugged at the bottom of her tight black dress and sauntered out her bedroom door. "Yes, Isobel." She drawled out. "Im presentable and ready to leave." As she approaced the bottom of the stairs, Elena saw Isobel's eyes narrow into slits. It was obvious that she didn't approve of her chosen attire, but Elena couldn't bring herself to care. Instead, she smoothed down a few stray ringlets and opened the closet to retrieve her black blazer, Isobel watching beady-eyed the whole time.

Elena's father exiting the kitchen and jingling his car keys seemed to lighten the mood, and Isobel's sneer for Elena was replaced by a glowing grin meant for John. He kissed them both on the cheek as he passed them to slip on his coat. "How are my two favourite girls doing?" he smiled, "And where is the other beautiful lady? Im sure there were three of you..."

Isobel reached out a hand and wiped off a few hairs stuck to his collar. "Katherine will be joining us shortly. She had something important to attend to."

"Well, I presume she will be joining us at the hotel." John said. "Elena," He turned to his daughter, who looked up at him with matching brown eyes. "You look so much like your mother tonight. Simply beautiful."

Elena smiled softly and bought him in for a hug. Over his shoulder, Elena watched as Isobel's eyes dilated and she turned her head away in sheer disgust. Her mother was twice the woman Isobel ever was; She knew it and Elena loved it. "Thank you, dad." She smiled warmly. "And you look as handsome as ever. Even though you've tied your bow all wrong."

John sighed and fiddled with his collar. "Oh, 'Lena. What would I do without you, huh?"

"I guess you'd have to settle for me John." Isobel quipped, a hint of jelous anger lacing her voice. "Seeing as I_ am _your wife."

John forced a strained smile. "Of course, Isobel. I don't know what I would do without you either."

Elena held in a snicker, knowing full well that her father was only saying that to calm the hot headed woman down. She watched as John reached into his pocket for his phone to check the time, and clapped his hands together, rubbing them in excitement. "Time to go," he said. "Can't be late now, can we?"

Elena smiled at her father as she finished up, passing him to open the door and a chill ran down her spine as she stepped out onto the porch to see what the night had in store for them. A fresh blanket of snow had settled over the sidewalks and houses, painting a sugary picture. John stepped out after her, face taking on the same expression.

Isobel huffed as she pushed past them both and locked the door behind her. "What are you both doing just standing there?" she demanded, hands on her hips. "John, if we don't get going now, we're going to be late."

John snapped out of his reverie and stared at his wife. "Of course, Isobel. Elena," he reached out to his daughter and took her by the arm, pulling her down the porch steps. Elena took a deep breath and braced herself as she stepped onto the white sheet of ice, shaking in her black laced 6 inch heels. She gripped onto her father tighter, biting her lip as he led her to the car. Elena let a breath out, unaware she was even holding it in the first place, when she was safely buckled up in the back of the car. From the passenger seat, Isobel turned around in her seat to look at her. For once, she seemed genuinely worried. "Elena, are you okay? What's wrong with your father?"

Elena shook her head. "Nothing's wrong." she smiled, trying to be convincing for her dad's sake. "Nothing at all."

Isobel, seeming content with the answer, turned back around and clipped her seatbelt into place. "If you say so." she murmured. John climbed into the car, closing the door behind him as quickly as he could. Briefly, he threw a look at Isobel before he revved the engine and pulled out of the driveway.

The drive to the hotel was a long one, filled with nothing less than silence and tension. Elena had thought more than once about starting a conversation, but she wasn't that desperate to talk to Isobel. Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime, John pulled into the hotel parking lot, safe from the driving snow and cut the engine.

Elena stepped out of the car, smoothing out the non-existent creases in her dress, and ran a hand through her ringlets again to keep them looking vibrant and bouncy. From the corner of her eye, she noticed a shiny red volvo parked nearer to the entrance, its licence plate clearly stating that it belonged to Katherine Pierce, her half sister and daughter of Isobel. Elena huffed out a sigh. She wasn't in the mood tonight for her fake preppiness.

"Elena, honey." John motioned for her to follow them. "It's this way."

Inside the hotel, Elena smiled at the guests out of politeness, not because she was glad to see them but because she was there as a favour to her father. Once the lobby was filled and her father and Isobel were occupied, she slipped out the side door, out into the fresh, cold air. She would go back when the party ended.

* * *

"Caroline," Damon moaned. "There's a beer at home with my name on it, and I'm not getting any younger. Can we please get going now?"

The blonde, giggling uncontrollably, lay sprawn across the floor, legs and arms spreadeagled as she created a snow angel. "Don't be a party pooper Damon," she teased. "Come and join me!"

Sighing, Damon untucked his hands from his pockets, feeling the cold air bite at them as he did so. He bent his knee's and dropped down onto the floor next to Caroline, feeling like an absoloute fool. "You're crazy." he chuckled.

Caroline laughed contagiously. "And you're an ass remember? Perfect combination."

Damon began to kick his legs out, feeling the cold soak through his black tailored trousers and wondered how Caroline was doing it in such a short, skimpy dress. He lay in the snow for what felt like a lifetime, before his teeth began to chatter uncontrollably. Finally deciding enough was enough, he got to his feet and pulled the blonde up along with him. "You're going to catch you death." He told her. "Come on."

Reluctantly, Caroline picked up her bag and let him lead her across the street, when she spotted a pretty little brunette shaking as she walked down the street towards them. Damon noticed how the blonde stopped again and was about to scold her when he followed her gaze and saw the woman too. She was shivering manically, dressed in nothing but a little black dress and a thin blazer. To top it off, she was wearing what looked like 6 inch heels, and was struggling with herself to keep upright. Damon looked at Caroline who looked on at the scene with pure sympathy and sighed sadly. "Look at her," she spoke softly. "She must be freezing."

Damon looked up at the darkening sky. The snow wasn't letting up anytime soon. "You think she has anywhere to go?" he asked. Caroline shrugged.

"If she did, would she really be out here?"

"But she's all dressed up." He let himself study the woman, taking note of the way her dress clung to her curves and how her dark brown curls spiralled down her back and around her pretty face. No, he thought. She wasn't just pretty; She was _stunning_. His trail of thought was disrupted when he watched as her heel caught on a crack in the sidewalk and she fell to the floor, efforts to keep herself upright carried out in vain. "Come on." He said. Caroline let herself be dragged down the sidewalk to where the woman was lifting herself up and listened as Damon cleared his throat to speak. "Hey there. Are you okay?"

Elena looked up from her feet, sure that it wasn't her the voice was speaking to. Yet she stood corrected. Two of the most beautiful people she had ever seen were looking at her intently, concern crossing their features. The man, the one who spoke, was ungodly good looking; His bright blue eyes sliced straight through her as she met his gaze, his raven black hair lay unruly on top of his head and she felt an overwhelming urge to run her hands through it. A shiver ran down her spine. The woman, on the other hand, looked no older than her; a pretty blonde with curly locks like herself and kind green eyes.

Finding her voice, Elena felt herself smile slightly. "You saw that, huh?"

"We're not weird or anything." Caroline piped up to clarify as she came closer. "It's just, we saw you fall and to top it all of, you look freezing." It came out like a question yet wasn't intended to be.

Elena suddenly realized that she was shaking violently, and quickly tried to stop. "Im fine," she said through chattering teeth. "Thank you for being so concerned."

Damon cocked his head to the side, not quite believing. "All dressed up and nowhere to be, huh?"

Elena bit her lip. "Nope. I just like to put on skimpy dresses and walk around the streets when its below freezing." she retorted.

"Well, prostitution is a posibility. We _have_ only just met." Damon chuckled softly.

Caroline elbowed him in the side. "You're being an ass again..." having had enough of the pointless bickering, Caroline stuck out a glove clad hand for Elena to shake. "My name's Caroline." She smiled widely. "This is Damon. Sorry, he's not good around people."

Elena took her hand and returned the smile. "My name's Elena."

Damon did the same once the two women had gotten the introductions out of the way. Elena reached out for his hand, feeling his warmth absorb the cold of her fingers. She almost didn't want to let go. "Nice to meet you, Elena."

"You- you too."

"Don't listen to her." He advised jokingly. "My latest admission to Mystic Falls Mental Hospital was just a fluke. Some other guy with the same name is all."

Elena looked up at him, disbelieving. He spoke with such confidence that she couldn't tell wether or not he was joking until Caroline jabbed him in the side again. "Once again, I apologise." She sighed.

"That's okay." Elena breathed, grinning. She had never met two people quite like the pair before her, and she had to say, she liked them. A lot.

"So, where were you headed?" Damon questioned shakily, he too feeling the jolt that ran through his body upon contact with the brunette stranger.

Elena sighed. "It's not where I'm headed. It's where I'm leaving."

"Im sorry," Damon's brows furrowed. "I'm not following."

Caroline tapped her foot impatiently. "It's not need to know unless you're a pervert, idiot." She murmured.

Damon cast a sideway glance at her and flashed a small smile. "Business is slow, Care." He grinned.

Elena laughed softly at their bickering and fiddled with the strap of her lace bag. "My family," She began to explain. "They're having this party..."

"And?" Damon prompted.

"Let's just say I'm not the partying type."

"So you've decided to catch pneumonia instead. More fun, huh?"

Elena smiled properly for the first time that night, pearly whites flashing a full set of teeth. She dragged a stray hair away from her face with a fingertip, effectively drawing Damon's attention to her perfect olive complexion. "There's just something more exciting about it. I don't know what it is." She grinned wider, Damon noticing just how much more beautiful she got by the second. "I guess I'm a thrill seeker."

Caroline huffed a sigh at their blatent flirtatious bicker, and tugged on Damon's arm to get his attention. "I thought you weren't getting any younger." she accused, impatient. "It was nice to meet you, Elena." she added in afterthought to the brunette. "But it's getting cold, and I think we should get going."

Damon turned to his best friend, realizing he had been completely ignoring her, and smiled sheepishly. "Oh, yeah. Sure." Turning back to the stunning woman still shivering from the cold, he was rather reluctant to leave her. He flashed another heart-stopping smile to stop the frown he felt trying to take over his features. "It was really nice to meet you." As he spoke, he shrugged off the leather jacket he had on over his casual dress suit . "And if I were you... I'd take this." Holding it out, he motioned to it for her to put it on, smiling in encouragement. "I'd hate to hear that a pretty thing like you has frozen to death on the news tomorrow."

Elena took it, smiling broadly, unable to do anything else but stand stunned by the beautiful man before her. "But how will I know to give it back to you?"

The dazzling blue eyed stranger smirked at her. "You just will. See you around, Elena girl."

Oh, how she wished she would, she thought, as she slipped her arms into the musky scented jacket.

* * *

**So, chapter one is up... **

**what do you think? Is this a good idea? Did I nail their meeting or did I completely butcher it? Did it seem real? I hope it did.**

**Sorry, too many questions. If you could drop me a review to let me know what you think, that'd be great!(': **

**over and outxo**


	2. Chapter 2

Title: "Tangled"**  
**Rated: T (for language and dry smut)**  
**Characters. Elena/Damon. Caroline/Klaus. Stefan/Rebekah. Jeremy/Bonnie**  
**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries or its characters (sigh). All rights belong to L.J Smith for writing the amazing series, and Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson; the amazing people who bought the masterpiece to life. However, I do own this plot and any OC's that might pop up, but I haven't decided on that yet.

* * *

Chapter Two:

When Elena woke up the next morning, the sun had already made an appearance, shining brightly through her curtains and illuminating the room. Normally, she would wake up at the crack of dawn, make breakfast, shower and dress, before finally going through the motions of a typical day in the Gilbert Household. But today, she knew she'd slept in, because from across the hall, she could see that Katherine was already up, room spotless, bed made. To Elena, this was highly unusual.

Unlike her step-sister, Elena's clothes littered the floor; her black dress hung from the vintage dresser, her killer heels kicked off in different directions, the jacket the kind stranger had given her sitting atop the hamper. The clock on her bedside table told her it was 9:50, which only served to confuse her more. Why hadn't anybody woken her up? Lifting her head, she looked out the window. There it was, blanketed in disrupted snow and faintly illuminated by the bright sun- the street Elena had learnt to ride her bike on when she was six. With a resolute sigh, Elena swung her legs out of bed, trying to shake the remainder of sleep away, and made her way to the bathroom, a hot shower and a change of clothes in mind; she didn't bother looking in the mirror as she tied her long dark curls into a no-nonsense bun. She knew what she'd see: A college journalism dropout, unhappy, yet strangely content at the same time. Quickly, Elena ridded herself of her boy shorts and oversized t-shirt, before stepping into the shower and letting the hot water engulf her. She wasn't sure how long she'd spent lathering herself in her favourite body wash, but her fingers were soon wrinkling and the water was gradually loosing its warmth. Hesitantly, wishing she could have just a few more minutes, Elena stepped out of the shower, quickly wrapping herself up in a comfortable cotton towel. It didn't take her too long to dress; Elena never wore anything too chic or expensive. She was like her mother in that way.

She simply groped for a pair of jeans in her wardrobe, smiling when she found they were her favourite extra skinnies, and rummaged through the hangers until she found a plum coloured top that accented her curves perfectly. Then, she pulled her hair out of its restrictor, leaving it to hang in a messy tangle of un-brushed curls, before shoving her feet into her black flats and hurrying down the stairs.

"Dad?" She called out, walking through the living room and into the den, soon finding that her efforts were in vain; the house seemed to be lifeless. "Isobel?" She tried next with an annoyed huff, but the kitchen was empty too. Finally, she yelled out for Katherine, half expecting her to retort with something highly insulting as she clicked down the stairs in her signature heels. But she never did. "Great." Elena breathed out. "Just great."

Alone, Elena resorted to climbing back up the stairs to retrieve her phone. As she unlocked it, the screen was suddenly illuminated by the reminder that she was supposed to meet Bonnie and Rebekah at the grill for breakfast a half hour ago. Cursing silently, Elena skipped down the stairs two at a time, slipping her arms into her coat and grabbing her car keys from the ashtray on the sideboard. She was about to call out 'goodbye' before she closed the door behind her, but caught herself, knowing there would be no-one to say it back to her.

* * *

Damon knew full well that he would inevitably wake up with a throbbing headache if he drank too much, but in the moment, downing shot after shot, he didn't have a care in the world. It was a different story, however, when Caroline kicked him awake a few hours later, demanding he get showered and dressed for work. He grunted into his pillow, feeling his stomach twist somersaults in protest, but the blonde wouldn't give in. "Caroline," He finally shouted, lifting his head ever so slightly and wincing as the motion made his head spin. "Will you just let me sleep?"

Caroline, on the other hand, had woken to find herself curled up on Damon's couch, an afghan that smelt like his cologne draped over her, but even she'd mustered the strength to get up and make coffee. If she could do it, then she'd make sure that he could do it too. "I would." She sighed, hands glued to her hips. "But then again, I'm not a selfish, inconsiderate douche like your boss."

Damon pulled the covers up tighter around him, tucking them underneath his chin as he rolled over, hugging half of his pillow. He looked like a small child. "Go 'way." He murmured sleepily.

Caroline chuckled. "I drank just as much as you did last night," She gloated, cocking her head to the side playfully. "Can't you take it like a man, Salvatore?" She flopped onto the bed beside him, her smile wide and infectious.

Damon felt her weight pull down on the opposing side of the bed, heard her soft giggle. "I'll pay you $200 dollars if you cover for me." He offered, rolling over to come face to face with his blonde best friend. "Please?" His blue eyes widened, his mouth pinching into a pout as he stared her down. "I _am_ your best friend."

"Yeah, and a lousy one at that." Caroline chuckled, elbowing him playfully. She sat contemplating his offer for a few minutes, before she couldn't take the way he was looking at her anymore, and she jumped off the bed. "No, come on." She encouraged. "Get up. Your dad will go mental if you aren't there."

Damon tried to pull himself into a sitting position, but the room just span and sent his eyes out of focus. His head was throbbing like someone was repeatedly thwacking him over and over again with a baseball bat. Finally, he focused on Caroline, who was looking at him expectantly. She was right, and she knew it. He wondered sullenly how she could do late nights and early mornings. "Fine." He huffed out. "But don't blame me if I throw up all over your expensive shoes."

Caroline rolled her eyes before exiting the room into the kitchen. Sat at the island, nursing a hot brew of tea, sat Damon's quintessentially British roommate, Klaus Mikaelson. He gave Caroline the once over as she entered, and she scoffed silently in discontent.

"Morning, love." He greeted gruffly in his thick British accent. His head of messy blonde curls lay unruly across his forehead; literally begging to have hands ran through it, his bright blue eyes focused solely on her. Caroline bit her tongue and nodded stiffly. "Tea?" He offered, his ridiculous dimples introducing themselves as he smiled.

"Don't do that, Klaus." She warned, sauntering past him towards the fridge. She pulled out a carton of orange juice and dutifully sipped it, deliberately showing him that she didn't want none of his tea.

Klaus' eyebrows raised specutively. "Don't do what?" He questioned innocently.

"You know what you do." Caroline bit back. "Act all charming with that British accent that you think makes all the girls swoon. Well, news flash: it doesn't."

"I'm just trying to be polite, love. Pardon me if I've offended you in any way."

Caroline had to restrain herself from squashing the carton of juice in her hands. "You've offended me in plenty ways, Klaus. I'm not about to give you any more openings to do it again."

Locked in a heated stare-down, neither noticed Damon enter the kitchen. He noted the mug Klaus held, and quickly dived for the coffee machine, deciding it would be his salvation to his banging headache. Leaning against the counter once he'd replaced the filter, he finally took note of the tension blanketing the room. "Whoa. I didn't interrupt anything did I?"

"No." Caroline answered, gaze unwavering.

"Yes." Klaus corrected at the same time. The two glared at each other.

"Listen, guys." Damon started, eyes darting back and forth between the two of them. "I love you both, but, please, for the sake of my sanity, shut the fuck up and get over it already."

Both Klaus and Caroline turned on him, bewildered, but Damon didn't even notice, just pulled out the cookie jar and inspected the goodies inside as he waited patiently for his coffee.

* * *

Elena went about apologising the second she walked into the grill, spotting Bonnie and Rebekah sat at a booth nearest the restrooms. "Oh, my god, I'm so sorry!" She plonked herself down opposite the two girls and shrugged out of her jacket. Snow still blanketed the sidewalks outside, and the icy roads made a quick journey take 20 minutes. "Ugh, is it me or is it getting colder?"

Laughing softly, Rebekah just poured herself another cup of tea from the steaming pot and added a dash of milk. Bonnie watched her, eyes narrowed. "Isn't that like, your fourth cup since we got here?" She asked incredulously.

Rebekah just shrugged. "I'm British."

Elena watched the two girls, highly amused. It was definitely true that opposites attracted. Rebekah was blonde, cool and sophisticated; one of the most desired women about town. Bonnie, on the other hand, was a complete bookworm, more interested in a book than a man, but she was equally just as pretty. Elena sometimes felt like she was the odd one out. Both Bonnie and Rebekah had their lives practically mapped out; what job they wanted, how many kids they were willing to pop out, had boyfriends… And Elena? Elena had no clue. She'd had her shot at the real world, but when her mother died, everything changed.

"So," Bonnie piped up, breaking through the quiet brunette's reverie. "The usual?"

Rebekah nodded earnestly, clapping her hands together like an excited seal, and Elena giggled. "I'm guessing you want the blueberry sauce as well?"

"You know me too well, Gilbert."

"Well, you're one of my best friends, Mikaelson." Elena quipped, raising her hand for a waiter to come and take their order. She smiled widely when she saw Matt Donovan, her old friend from high school dutifully heading over to their table, biro secured firmly behind his ear.

"What can I get you, ladies?" He asked, impossibly bright blue eyes shining as he took out his notepad and retrieved his pen. "Wait, let me guess." He interrupted before any of the girls could say anything. "You want a stack of dozen pancakes, a fresh batch of Mikky's Muffins, and a cup of blueberry sauce?"

Elena smiled warmly. "That's it." She confirmed, feeling her grin spread to her eyes. The thought 'grinning from ear to ear' ran through her mind. She felt someone kick her underneath the table. Matt scribbled down their order, flashing another heart breaking smile, before turning on his heel and heading towards the kitchen.

"Ow." Elena complained once he was out of hearing range. "What was that for?"

"What was that _for_?" Rebekah asked, disbelieving. "You went out with the guy for like, 2 years. Then out of the blue, you decide it isn't working. But now you're actually flirting with him. It's obvious."

Hopelessly confused, Elena looked from friend to friend, searching for more to go on. "What's obvious?"

"You still like him!" Bonnie squealed suddenly and Elena felt her face redden at the accusation. "And don't try and deny it, Elena Gilbert."

"I don't need to deny anything, because it isn't true." Elena quipped, desperately trying to de-flush her cheeks. "Matt's just a friend. Come on, we shared a crib from the minute we were born. Kelly and my mom were like this." She knotted her fingers together while Bonnie and Rebekah rolled their eyes. "Believe me, don't believe me." She shrugged.

"We _don't_ believe you." Rebekah declared, nipping at her tea. "I think he likes you too." She added softly in afterthought. Elena's eyes immediately darted up to Matt, wiping down surfaces on opposing tables as he waited for their order to finish up. Suddenly, the face of the man from last night popped into her head. The one with the impossible blue eyes and the Sighing, she swept it away. She didn't even know his last name. Elena knew Matt, inside and out. For years, they had been one person until they broke up, and now, out of nowhere, she was questioning whether or not Matt could be the one for her.

* * *

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**Over&Out**


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